Building element aligner and mortarizer

ABSTRACT

A method to aid in the construction of walls of bricks or other building elements providing for laying the building elements in random alignment in a course on a layer of mortar, alignment of said building elements with side faces of the wall being built and at the same time applying a layer of mortar on the aligned building elements for the next course of randomly aligned building elements, said aligning and mortar application being by a machine adapted for running on said randomly laid and the aligned and mortared building elements. The machine for applying the method comprises a mortar container having a downwardly diverging mortar outlet, spaced aligning devices and supporting runners which are disposed on opposite sides of the outlet.

United States Patent [19] Bloom [11] 3,831,819 [451 Aug. 27, 1974 BUILDING ELEMENT ALIGNER AND MORTARIZER [76] Inventor: Gordon Norman Bloom, 499

Ontedekkers Rd., Florida llills, Transvaal Province, Roodepoort, South Africa [22] Filed: Oct. 2, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 294,265

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 4, 1971 South Africa 71/6610 [52] US. Cl 222/176, 410/9, 410/48, 410/193 [51] Int. Cl B67d 3/00 [58] Field of Search 52/749; 401/4, 9, 48, 193; 222/176, 184

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,833,582 11/1931 Kavanagh 401/48 2,341,691 2/1944 Ciceske 401/48 2,591,377 4/1952 Sadler 401/48 2,663,182 12/1953 Sommers l l 52/749 2,683,981 7/1954 Richey 401/193 2,837,910 6/1958 Steed 52/749 3,162,886 12/1964 Wise 401/193 3,545,159 12/1970 Brewer 52/749 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,125,637 3/1962 Germany 52/749 Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Karl W. Flocks ABSTRACT A method to aid in the construction of walls of bricks or other building elements providing for laying the building elements in random alignment in a course on a layer of mortar, alignment of said building elements with side faces of the wall being built and at the same time applying a layer of mortar on the aligned building elements for the next course of randomly aligned building elements, said aligning and mortar application being by a machine adapted for running on said randomly laid and the aligned and mortared buildingelements. The machine for applying the method comprises a mortar container having a. downwardly diverging mortar outlet, spaced aligning devices and supporting runners which are disposed on opposite sides of the outlet.

4 Claims, 12 Drawing; Figures PAIENIEDwszmu SHEET t BF 4 BUILDING ELEMENT ALIGNER AND MORTARIZER BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to an improved method and means for building or constructing walls from building elements, such as bricks, blocks or like units or elements, and mortar. More particularly the invention is for a method and the means for building walls for which mainly unskilled labour may be employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention a method of building a wall includes laying a plurality of building elements in random alignment with each other in a course on a previously laid layer of mortar, of displacing a combination aligning and mortar laying machine along the length of said randomly laid course of building elements and thereby bringing vertical faces of the building elements into alignment with the vertical faces of the wall being built, and of simultaneously depositing a layer of mortar on top of the building elements so brought into alignment.

The laying of the building elements in a course includes laying them in adjacent rows and the method also includes the step, during displacement of said machine, of urging the rows of building elements apart. The layer of mortar deposited is of substantially constant thickness and pressure is applied to the layer of mortar deposited by the machine during its displacement so that mortar is forced into the gaps between adjacent faces of the aligned adjacent building elements.

The displacement of the machine is by rolling along the upper surfaces of the randomly laid course of build ing elements and of the building elements aligned by the machine. Such displacement of the machine may, if desired, be by sliding along the upper surfaces of the randomly laid building elements and of the building elements aligned by the machine.

The invention also extends to the means for building of a wall and provides a combination building element aligning and mortar laying machine which includes runners for supporting the machine, the runners being engageable with and displaceable along the upper surface ofthe upper course of building elements ofa wall being built; downwardly directed longitudinally disposed building element aligning devices spaced transversely at a spacing corresponding to the wall thickness; and a mortar container having a downwardly diverging mortar discharge opening defined by transverse lips disposed above the level of the surfaces of the runners engaging the upper surface of the wall being built; whereby in the building of a wall building elements laid at random in a course are alignable with the vertical faces of the wall as the machine is advanced along the wall while mortar is discharged through the opening onto the building elements supporting the machine.

The container comprises a pair of transversely spaced side members; a floor provided by a pair of Iongitudinally spaced downwardly converging floor members, the downwardly diverging lips defining the mortar discharge openings which are fast with the floor members while said floor members are vertically adjustable to permit adjustment of the thickness of the layer of mortar desposited. Said floor members have inwardly directed convex surfaces inside the container, the convexity of the surfaces being about transverse axes.

The downwardly extending aligning devices are adjustable in vertical directions adapting such devices to engage only the row of building elements to be aligned or such row of building elements and a previously aligned course of building elements.

The runners, which are provided at opposite ends of the machine, comprise rollers of tapering shape presenting narrow circumferential rim portions. Said rollers are disposed on transverse shafts. The rollers at the trailing end of the machine are adapted to cut into the deposited layer of mortar without appreciable disturbance of the mortar layer. When using the machine on building elements having vertical cavities the runners may comprise skid members presenting narrow building element engaging faces in order to prevent tipping of the machine when moved along the wall being built.

At least one pair of tandem arranged runners are provided for engaging the or each row of adjacent building elements. An adjacent pair of spaced runners is required at each end of the machine when building a narrow wall composed of a single row of building elements. However, when building a wall composed of two adjacent rows of building elements a pair of spaced runners may be provided at each end of the machine for engaging each row of building elements.

Spacer means is provided on the machine when building a wall composed of adjacent rows of building elements and which spacer means is adapted to enter between the adjacent rows of building elements for urging the building elements sidewardly against the building element aligning devices. The spacer means for urging the building elements sidewardly preferably comprises wedge-like rollers adapted to perform wedging actions between the building elements. The said spacer means may be biassed in a downward direction by spring means.

When building a cavity wall a masking member is disposed longitudinally along the centre of the machine and across the centre portion of the transverse mortar discharge opening.

The machine may be of transversely adjustable size. The said transversely spaced building element aligning devices may be resiliently biassed towards each other.

The invention also extends to the construction of circular or curved walls. For this purpose the building element aligning devices of the machine are of curved shape and disposed at constant spacing while the inner side member is connected to the outer end of a radius arm having its inner end rotatably attached to a centre post.

The machine is constructed to permit operation in opposite directions, to and fro fashion. Furthermore the displacement of the machine along the building elements may be manually effected although, if particularly desired, mechanical means may be employed. On reaching the end of the wall being built the machine is lifted and after random placement of building elements, the machine is lowered on such elements and is then run in the opposite direction. The placement of the building elements on the layer of mortar may be by unskilled labour. Such laying of the building elements is advantageously immediately behind the advancing machine.

The diverging mortar discharge opening, which extends transversely across the centre of the machine provides a venturilike action on the mortar passing therethrough while the lips produce a downward pressure on the mortar deposited on the building elements. Pressure is required during operation of the machine for mortar to be forced into vertical cavities between adjacent building units while a compression of the layer of mortar is also produced. The smaller the angle between the said lips and the horizontal, the greater the pressing action on and/or compaction of the mortar.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and carried into effect reference will now be made to the drawings which illustrate, by way of example, apparatus according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a half sectional-elevation of a combination aligning and mortar laying machine;

FIG. 2 is a plan of a machine similar to that shown in FIG. 1, including modifications;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary isometric view of a part for use in the machines shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of a part incorporated in the machine shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are end elevations of two modified forms of the machine;

FIG. 8 is an end view of a further modified form of the machine;

FIG. 9 is a plan of a still further modified form of a machine according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of an accessory part for use on a machine adapted to construct a cavity wall;

FIG. 11 is a part for use with the part shown in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a skid-forming device for use instead of rollers incorporated in the machines shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS All the forms of the machines shown comprise vertically disposed spaced plate-like side members fixed together at the top end corners by beams 22 and at lower positions by two shafts 24 which are journalled in bearings 26 mounted on the outside faces of the side members 20. On each shaft 24 tapered rim rollers 28 are freely rotatably located between collars 30. The collars 30 are adjustably fixable on the shaft 24 to vary the positions of the rollers 28 on the shafts.

Extending downwardly from the side members 20 the randomly laid building element aligning devices, comprising plates 32, are attached. Said aligning plates 32 are conveniently vertically adjustably attached to the side faces of the side members by studs 34 provided on the plates 32 and extending through slots 34.1 in the side members and fixable by wingnuts 34.2. The ends of the aligning plates 32 are preferably outwardly divergent as at 32.]. Upper portions of the outer faces of the aligning plates 32 are overlappingly located against lower longitudinal portions of the inner faces of the side members 20. Such vertical adjustablility of the aligning plates 32 provided for variation of the extent of downward projection from the side members so that only the randomly laid building elements are engageable by the aligning plates or such aligning plates may engage said building elements and also the building elements of the previously laid course. The downwardly extended positions of the aligning plates 32 are shown in broken outline in FIGS. 1 and 3.

When the aligning plates 32 are in the downwardly extended position a filler slat 34.3 is positioned above each aligning plate 32 and held against the inside face of the respective side member by studs 34.4 which extend through the upper portions of the slots 34.1 and by nuts engaging said studs.

Between the side members 20 a pair of downwardly converging plate-like floor members 36 are located and of which the lower portions 36.1 are of curved or curled shape and disposed in spaced relationship. The upper and outer ends of the floor members 36 are pivotally supported on bolts or rods 38 while said relatively spaced curled inner ends form between them a transverse opening 40. On the underfaces and at the upper ends of the floor members 36 holed lugs 42 are provided for engaging the rods or bolts 38.

Said curved or curled ends 36.1 of the floor members present convex curved faces 36.5 while the extreme marginal edge region forms a lip 36.4. Said floor members 36 are fixable in any sloping position by means of bolts 44 passing through holed lugs 42.1 on such members and curved slots 46 in the side members while said bolts are engaged by wingnuts 48.

On the centre portions of each shaft 24 a pair of arms 50 are freely swingably located and are capable of outward axial extension of the machine. Between the free ends of each pair of arms 50 a freely rotatably mounted heavy tapered roller 52 is located. Said rollers 52, during use of the machine, are gravitationally downwardly biassed. Such biassing of each roller 52 may be assisted by a compression spring 54 provided on telescopically engaging parts attached by a brace 56 to the arms 50 and by a holed lug 58 on the underface of a floor member 36.

Above the floor members 36 a hopper-like container is formed into which mortar is supplied. The mortar container above the floor members is schematically shown in the drawing to be in the form of a tank or box and is hopper-like. As understood in the art of containers, they may take any of the known geometric forms which may be box-shaped, box-like, or box-like in section or equivalent forms. The capacity of such container may be increased by a removable walled structure 60 which may be carried on the beams 22. On the outer faces of the side members 20 handles 62 are secured.

The forms of the machine shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 are constructed for building brick walls comprising two adjacent end to end rows of stretcher arranged bricks 70.

In order to adapt the machine to building walls where the building elements or bricks are wider or narrower than a standard width, such machine may be transversely adjustable for changing the effective width. Such form of machine is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. To provide for such transverse adjustment the beams 22.1 may be lengthened or shortened by providing complementarily shaped beam parts on the side members which are adjustably connected together by bolts 63 engaging spaced holes and slots 64.1 providing is such co-acting beam parts. To adapt the plate-like floor members 36 to such changeable width such members are composed of three parts comprising two flanking parts 36.2 and a centre part 36.3, the latter fitting slidably below and into the flanking parts 36.2. Due to the curved portions 36.1 the said parts remain nested together (see FIG. 5).

The rollers 28 are required to run on a level course of laid building elements or bricks 70 while the rollers 52 are adapted to wedgingly engage between longitudinal stretcher laid adjacent rows of building elements or bricks 70 for outward spreading of transverse adjacent building elements or bricks into engagement with the aligning plates 32. Said aligning plates 32 are adapted to displace building elements or bricks 70, laid projectingly beyond the faces of the wall in the course of construction, inwardly.

In FIG. 7 a machine is shown for building a wall of single rows of building elements or bricks 70. With this machine the rollers 52 are not required but at both ends of the machine two axially spaced rollers 28 are required for engaging the upper faces of the building elements or bricks in order to prevent sideward tilting of the machine when in use.

In FIG. 6 a machine is shown for building a wall of which each course comprises two adjacent rows of building elements. In this machine two axially spaced rollers 28 are provided at both ends of the machine for running on each row of building elements or bricks 70 instead of one only, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The machine according to the invention can also be used for the construction of a cavity wall. The machine must be of the required width of the wall and is provided with a masking spacer 64 at a longitudinal centre position to prevent mortar from dropping into the re quired wall cavity. Said masking spacer 64 is provided with upwardly extending holed lugs 66 for suspension from the shafts 22. The ends of the masking spacer are convergent as is shown at 64.1. A wider roller 52.] (FIG. 11) is required for lateral displacement of randomly laid adjacent building elements or blocks 70 and outward direction into engagement with the aligning plates 32.

The aligning plates 32 may be resiliently biassed towards one another by compression springs 72 bearing against the outside faces thereof and onto brackets 74 depending from the side members as is shown in FIG. 8. From the outside faces of the aligning plates 32 pairs of bolts 76 extend outwardly to pass freely through holes in brackets 74 extending downwardly from the side members 20 while the springs 72 are threaded on said studs 76. Nuts on the outer ends of the studs 76 control the extent of inward displacement of the aligning plates 32.

The machine may be adapted to build circular or curved walls. For such purpose the side members 20.1 (FIG. 9) are of curved shape and secured together at constant radial spaced relationship. The inner side member 20.1 is attached to a radius beam 78 which in turn is rotatably connected to a vertical centre post 79. In constructing circular or curved walls it has been found that after a number of courses have been laid an experienced worker can continue erecting such wall without the use of the radius beam. It was also found that the building operation was greatly facilitated and accelerated when a pre-aligner, in the form of a curved plate on a radius beam, is used to provide for an initial alignment of the building elements or bricks 70 ahead of the machine. i

When commencing building a wall with the aid of a machine according to the invention a special apparatus may be employed for applying the intial mortar layer on a foundation or the like. Such apparatus for application of the first or initial mortar layer may be moved along a mounted straight edge member or such other guide means. However, a machine according to the invention may also be used for applying the first layer of mortar on a foundation or the like and for which purpose the building element aligning plates or such like devices 32 are removed.

When unskilled labour is used, and before they become sufficiently proficient, the end to end spacing of the building elements or bricks may be controlled by retractable spacer pieces between the end faces of the building elements. However non-recoverable distance pieces for such purpose may be used, such distance pieces may comprise balls, cubes or the like of a de sired diameter or thickness and which are placed between the building elements or bricks.

The initial course of building elements or bricks may be placed on a mortar layer against a straight or chalk line by a skilled worker or unskilled workers may lay such building elements or bricks by using a guiding device. After laying of the initial course a machine according to the invention may be used. The machine is lifted when completing a course for placement on the next course for aligning already laid building elements or bricks which have been laid more or less in the required positions for alignment by the machine and application of mortar after alignment.

Instead of rollers 28 skids 80 may be used which are mounted on a bracket 82 which in turn is fixed by end flanges 82.1 onto the side members 20. Such skids 80 may be preferable for use on building elements or blocks 70 having vertical cavities. Such skids are adapted to override such cavities and eliminate the pos' sibility of tipping when rollers are used and when such cavities are fairly large. However skids can only be used on building elements which have a mass resisting displacement in the direction of movement of the machine when the skids slide over them.

The provision of resiliently inwardly biassed aligning plates provides for overriding of irregularities on side faces of building elements or bricks 70.

If found necessary mixing or agitating devices may be incorporated in the container or hopper formed above the sloping floor members 36. Such devices are preferably rotatable and may be driven from any of the rollers or the shafts 24. Such mixing or agitating devices may also be employed to assist in producing a downward pressure of the mortar through the transverse slot formed by the curved surfaces 36.5.

On the machine spirit levels may be mounted to indicate to the user whether the machine deviates from the level.

I claim:

1. A combination building element aligning and mortar laying machine, which includes runners for supporting the machine, the runners being engageable with and displaceable along the upper surface of the upper course of building elements of a wall being built;

downwardly directed longitudinally disposed building element aligning devices spaced transversely at a spacing corresponding to the wall thickness; and box-shaped mortar container including a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side members and a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending, transversely adjustable end members connecting said side members at the ends thereof, a floor extending between said side members and said end members, said floor comprising a pair of downwardly converging, transversely adjustable floor members merging at the lower edges thereof into longitudinally spaced downwardly diverging lips, said lips being disposed above the lower extremities of said runners and defining a mortar discharge opening, whereby in the building of a wall, building elements laid at random in a course are alignable with the vertical faces of the wall as the machine is advanced along the wall while mortar is discharged through the opening onto the building elements supporting the machine.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the runners comprise rollers of outward converging tapering shape presenting narrow circumferential rim portions and disposed on transverse shafts.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein spacer means is provided comprising downwardly biased outwardly converging tapering rollers located outwardly of the runners at the opposite ends for entering between adjacent rows of building elements and adapted for urging the building elements sidewardly against the building element aligning devices.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a wedgelike spacer roller is provided for entering between adjacent rows of building elements and adapted for urging building elements sidewardly against the building element aligning devices, said spacer roller being resiliently biassed in a downward direction.

l l= l 

1. A combination building element aligning and mortar laying machine, which includes runners for supporting the machine, the runners being engageable with and displaceable along the upper surface of the upper course of building elements of a wall being built; downwardly directed longitudinally disposed building element aligning devices spaced transversely at a spacing corresponding to the wall thickness; and box-shaped mortar container including a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side members and a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending, transversely adjustable end members connecting said side members at the ends thereof, a floor extending between said side members and said end members, said floor comprising a pair of downwardly converging, transversely adjustable floor members merging at the lower edges thereof into longitudinally spaced downwardly diverging lips, said lips being disposed above the lower extremities of said runners and defining a mortar discharge opening, whereby in the building of a wall, building elements laid at random in a course are alignable with the vertical faces of the wall as the machine is advanced along the wall while mortar is discharged through the opening onto the building elements supporting the machine.
 2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the runners comprise rollers of outward converging tapering shape presenting narrow circumferential rim portions and disposed on transverse shafts.
 3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein spacer means is provided comprising downwardly biased outwardly converging tapering rollers located outwardly of the runners at the opposite ends for entering between adjacent rows of building elements and adapted for urging the building elements sidewardly against the building element aligning devices.
 4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a wedge-like spacer roller is provided for entering between adjacent rows of building elements and adapted for urging building elements sidewardly against the building element aligning devices, said spacer roller being resiliently biassed in a downward direction. 